Camber adjusting tool



Aug 12, 1947. F. NIELSEN 2,425,556

CAMBER ADJUSTING TOOL Filed sept. 21, 1945 Patented Aug. 12, 1947 UNITED STATES FATENT OFFICE CAMBER ADJUSTING TOOL Frederik Nielsen, Quincy, Mass. Application September 21, 1943, Serial No. 503,184

2 Claims.

This invention has for an object to provide a tool by which the camber of knee action vehicle wheels may be adjusted easily and accurately.

A further object is to provide such a tool by which one arm of the knuckle support may be deflected to produce such adjustment and while the knuckle support is so held that the deflecting action may be done without damage to any of the parts.

Still another object is to produce such adjustment by the turning of an adjustment bar about a longitudinal axis and preferably where parts at opposite sides of the part deflected are supported against the delecting force.

For a more complete understanding of this invention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a detail vertical sectional view of a knee action wheel mounting showing a tool embodying the invention in operative position for adusting the wheel camber.

Figure 2 is an exploded perspective View to a larger scale of the knuckle support engaging parts of the tool shown in Figures 1 and 3.

Figure 3 is a detail sectional view to a larger scale on line 3 3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a detail sectional view on line 4 4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a View similar to a portion of Figure 4, but showing the tool parts in different positions.

Figure 6 is a perspective view showing a modied construction of one of the tool parts.

Figure '7 is a View similar to Figure 4, :but showing the tool part of Figure 6.

Referring first to the construction shown in Figures 1 to 5, at l is shown 4an abutment inember having at one end a concave plate extension 2 arranged spaced from a hole 3 through a body portion Il of the member l. Within the hole 3 is journaled aportion 5 of a shaft 6 provided with an eccentric end :portion l which lies substantially lengthwise of the plate 2 and spaced therefrom. The eccentric portion 'l is arranged generally parallel to the curvature of the plate 2 so that this portion 'l and spaced parts oi the plate 2 form angularly spaced elements of an adjusting mechanism arranged to engage on opposite sides of a knee action support i5, as shown in Figure 4. This knee action support carries a knuckle Il intermediate to its ends, this knuckle carrying the short axle i2 on which the wheel i5 is journaled. The support lil extends both above and below the knuckle, and in order to vary the tilt of the axle i2 on which the vehicle 2 wheel l5 is journaled to adjust the camber, this knuckle support may :be bent or deflected, thus changing the angular position in substantially a vertical plane of the knuckle support and the axle. This tool, as shown, is suitable for both right and left wheel mountings.

As shown in Figures 3, 4 and 5, the parts l and l are arranged on opposite sides of the knuckle support i0, so that by turning the shaft S, a movement of the portion l toward and from the inner face of the plate 2 is produced. The plate 2 being concave may have two spaced bearing points on the knuckle support, while the portion 'l of the shaft 5 may be turned so as to bring the portion l against one or the other face of the knuckle support :between the spaced points and bend this support in the direction and to the extent desired in any particular case. For eX- ample, in Figure 4 the eccentric shaft portion 'l is retracted and this portion engages the upper arm of the knuckle support on one side while the edge portions 25 and 26 of the plate member 2 engage either against the opposite face of the support or on some portion of the mechanism to which this support is attached. As shown the lower edge portion 25 of the plate engages on the outer face of the support l0, while the upper edge portion engages the part l 0 `adjacent to the shock absorber arm 2l to `which the upper end of the support l0 is pivotally secured. Bending or deforming of the support arm is then produced by rocking the shaft 6, this producing a caming effect of the portion 1 against the inner edge of the support l0 between the parts 25 and 25. This action tends to straighten the upper part of the support from the condition shown in Figure 4 to that shown in Figure 5 and increases the camber of the wheel. This rocking of the portion 'l may be produced in any suitable manner, but as herein shown the rear end of the shaft 6 extends into a tube or pipe 23 to which it may be secured as by the pin 28, and at the outer end of this tube 23 it has secured thereto, as by welding, a shank member 24 having a polygonal head 29 secured thereto at its outer end. These parts are preferably welded together so that a substantially unitary structure from the polygonal head 29 to the part l results. In action, a socket, or other suitable wrench, is engaged over the polygonal head 29, and the shaft is then turned to eiect the bending of the knuckle support to adjust the camber as desired. Abutment members of various shapes and sizes to suit the particular wheel mounting to be adjusted may be selectively assembled with the Same shaft and eccentric.

form of tool member corresponding to the tool member I, and which is suitable for constructions where there is not suicient room lto use the member I. This member 30, as shown detached in Figure 6, is provided with a journalk opening 3| for the inner end of the shaft 5 and has a pair 'of spaced abutments 32 and 33. It

should be made as right and left, for right and left Wheels. When this tool is employed, as shown 1 in Figure 7, the abutment 32 engages the top of the support Ilia adjacent to the shock absorber arm 2'I, while its abutment member 33 engages toward its lower end adjacent to the lower link 34. The shaft 6 with its eccentric end portion'I knuckle support I a.

knuckle support and is situated between the abutments 32 and 33. I Y

`Fromthe foregoing description of certain emmodiments of this invention, it should beevident to those skilled in the art that various other changes and modifications might be madevvithoutrdeparting from the spirit or4 scope of this invention.

1. A camber adjusting device comprising a shaft, an elongated member journaled on said. shaftV and having a pairof abutment portions spacedtransversely of said shaft for engagement atspaced points with the knuckle supportof a knee action mechanismand on one side of said knuckle support, said shaft having an eccentricv portion forengagernent with the opposite side of said support between said spaced points and being extended. on one side of said member, said extended portion having means for engagement byV a tool for rocking said shaft about its axis.

i on the same side. of the knuckle support IIla, but

is then placed in the journal opening 3|, this porf y y tion 'I then engaging on the inner lface of the The engagement Hof the portion 'I is then on the opposite side of theY 2. A camber adjusting device comprising a shaft, an elongated member journaled on'said shaft so as to extend parallel thereto and having a transversely concaved plate portion, said portion presenting adjacent to its'opposite edgesV member, said extended portion having means for Y engagement vby a tool for rocking said shaft about its axis. v

- Y FREDERIK NIELSEN.

REFERENCES CITED Theffollowing references are of record inthe file of this patent:

y l UNITED STATES PATENTS Y Number Name Y Date 41,354,448' Walt Sept. 28, 1920 1,501,751 Crannell July 15, 1924 1,827,363 VVJacquesson Oct. 13,1931

1,832,698 Gale Nov. 7, 1931 327,778 George Oct. 6, 1385 910,209 Lochr Jan..19,.v1909 2,263,628 Hinton Nov. 25, 1941 481,763 Johnson Aug. 30, `18924 1,267,798 Parnell May 28,51918 1,042,121 Kerrigan Oct. 22, 1912 V1,598,095 Lord Aug. 31,V 1926 s FOREIGN PATENTS Y Number Country Date s Y 6,806 Great Britain Mar. 29, 1899 

